Madrid
This family-run Mexican bar has something of a cult following, serving up bite-sized tacos (the cochinita pibil is our favourite) washed down by fabulous…
Must-see restaurants in Madrid
Salamanca
Other better-known places have come and gone around here, but La Colonial de Goya has stood the test of time. The food is occasionally creative but is…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Basque-Navarran cuisine is treated with respect at this classy place that's popular with celebrities and well regarded by food critics. There are only…
La Latina & Lavapiés
An icon of 1980s Madrid, La Bobia has been updated for the 21st century, but is still the authentic Asturian cider house that lies at the secret of its…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
Tucked away on a quiet corner and full of light from the large-pane windows, Carmencita Bar attracts a young international crowd with a daily brunch menu …
Madrid
In the heart of the Barrio de las Letras, this sophisticated restaurant is one of the best places in town to sample Basque cuisine. The essential staples…
Salamanca
Restaurante Estay is partly a standard Spanish bar, where besuited waiters serve café con leche, and partly one of the best-loved tapas bars in this part…
Madrid
A Chamberí mainstay for decades, Alma Cheli has mastered the art of reinvention – try its salmorejo de almendras y chipotle (cold tomato soup with almonds…
La Latina & Lavapiés
This famous old taberna (tavern) has been in the Oliveros family since 1921 and nothing seems to have changed much since it opened. It’s a tiny, warm,…
Chueca
This old-school Spanish bar has been around in some form since 1815 and is the place to come to see what all Spanish bars used to be like -– loud, bow…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Receiving plaudits from food critics and ordinary punters alike, Casa Lucas takes a sideways glance at traditional Spanish tapas and heads off in new…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
This riotously popular seafood bar and restaurant is where madrileños with a love for seafood go to indulge. The mariscada de la casa (€38 for two) is a…
Chueca
Wildly popular in the evening for a drink or three, CuatrodeOcho does fabulous rice dishes (try the quail rice with Manchego cheese) and a mix of full-…
Madrid
A bastion of fine cooking from the northern Spanish region of Navarra, La Huerta de Tudela and its chef Ricardo Gil do excellent seasonal vegetable dishes…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
Great tapas cooked at 80°C (try the toasted pork-rib sandwich with honey mustard), cold tapas (tomato stuffed with duck, bacon and blue cheese) and an…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Around halfway down the Lavapiés hill, La Caleta is Andalucian down to its white-walled, flower-strewn dining area. The food is all about Cádiz, where…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Behind one of the best-preserved old taberna facades in Madrid hides this gem of a traditional tapas bar famous for its Madrid specialities – tortilla de…
Chueca
Restaurateurs Tomoyuki and Eiko Ikenaga arrived in Spain in the 1950s and have watched Spaniards slowly become accustomed to foreign cuisines – sushi bars…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
An engaging little corner bar that's good for lunch and often full. They do some surprising stars, such as a mango ravioli with foie gras or cod meatballs…
Madrid
In a stylish basement in Chamberí's south, with a large communal wooden table dominating the seating, Fismuler is classy yet not at all pretentious. The…
Madrid
This restaurant with a modern interior and a great location serves updated versions of old Spanish classics. Signature dishes include carrillada (pork…
La Latina & Lavapiés
A well-regarded bastion of local cooking, this place does fabulous croquetas de jamón, and has a more varied menu than most old taverns, ranging from…
Madrid
Tapas you can point to without deciphering the menu and eclectic old-world decor (from bullfighting memorabilia to a fresco of skeletons at the bar) make…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Taberna Txakolina calls its pintxos ‘high cuisine in miniature’. If ordering tapas makes you nervous, it couldn’t be easier here – they’re lined up on the…
La Latina & Lavapiés
The seafood-dominated cooking of the Andalucian province of Cádiz is what this place is all about, with every imaginable sea creature (usually lightly…
La Latina & Lavapiés
La Buga del Lobo has been one of the ‘in’ places in cool and gritty Lavapiés for years now and it’s still hard to get a table. The atmosphere is bohemian…
Madrid
By the people who brought you Madrid's best cheese shop, Poncelet, Cheese Bar does many things but the cheese platters from Poncelet's considerable…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
This vast six-floor concept store is crowned with a leafy rooftop restaurant that looks out over the Malasaña rooftops. The food is good – nicely…
Chueca
Momo is a Chueca beacon of reasonably priced home cooking for a casual crowd. It has an artsy vibe and is ideal for those who want a hearty meal without…
Madrid
From the same stable as Finca de Susana and Bazaar, La Caña follows a similar formula – well-priced meals that blend Spanish and international influences…
La Latina & Lavapiés
This fine Andalucian bar serves tasty salted prawns from Huelva and all manner of other dishes from Spain's south – the emphasis is on seafood, but there…
Chueca
This family-run Basque restaurant is a fine outpost of the north in the heart of Chueca. Dishes are traditional at first glance, but then dishes like the…
Madrid
For a tapas experience with scarcely a tourist in sight, Le Qualité Tasca, in Chamberí's north, is an excellent choice. The menu ranges from classic cured…
Salamanca
Fabulous tapas (caviar, frogs' legs and the like), steaks in all their forms (including Steak Tartar), a first-class tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Naïa has a real buzz about it, with modern Spanish cuisine, a chill-out lounge downstairs and outdoor tables on lovely Plaza de la Paja. The emphasis…
La Latina & Lavapiés
A delightful spot for crêpes, veggie burgers and other vegetarian specialities, El Estragón is one of downtown Madrid’s better vegetarian restaurants,…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
Snug, loud and unpretentious, La Musa is all about designer decor, lounge music and memorably fun food. The menu is divided into three types of tapas –…
Madrid
Madrid's best Vietnamese restaurant does expertly prepared rice paper rolls, pho and some fabulous beef dishes using prime Argentinian beef. Service is…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Casa María combines professional service with memorable traditional cooking – its stews are especially well loved, including the cocido (€19.90), and it…
Malasaña & Conde Duque
Croquetas (croquettes) in all their glory are what this place is all about. Try any number of riffs on the croquette theme (with river prawns and kimchi,…